Jaissle Apologises to Newcastle Fans After Another 4-1 Away Defeat

Newcastle United boss Matthias Jaissle has apologised to the travelling fans after a 4-1 defeat at Coventry City, though he says it was not his team’s worst performance of the season.

The loss was the second heavy away defeat in a row for the Magpies. They lost by the same score at Leeds United before the international break. It is the first time since December 2012 that Newcastle have conceded four or more goals in back-to-back top-flight away games.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Jaissle admitted that having the ball was not enough. “It’s hard. That’s the punishment in this league. We controlled many phases but it’s not enough,” he said. Newcastle had most of the possession and took 19 shots, but wasted their chances at one end and gave away too much at the other.

He said the game was lost in the two penalty areas. “The games are decided in the boxes – and we were not clean in both boxes. It’s something we need to learn fast. The momentum was there. We have a young squad but that shouldn’t be an excuse. It was a tough game in general. The injured players are hopefully getting more gametime, more minutes.”

Jaissle then said sorry to the fans who made the trip. “Today, if you see the whole picture, it was not the worst game. But I apologise to the fans because they deserved a different result.”

The numbers back up the worries at the back. Newcastle have let in 13 goals in their first six league games, which is the joint-worst record in the league, level with Chelsea and Bournemouth. Their expected goals against figure of 10.48 is the joint-third worst in the top flight, and they have already faced 106 shots on target.

The schedule does not get easier. Newcastle host Aston Villa at St James’ Park this weekend, then travel to Crystal Palace. After that they play Everton twice, in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup. They have just eight points from six games, and Jaissle needs a quick turnaround.